Croatia needs an integration policy that protects workers

For decades, Croatia spoke about migration mainly through emigration. The departure of Croatian citizens, demographic decline and labour shortages shaped public debate. Today migrant workers are part of Croatia’s everyday economy, from construction and tourism to delivery, retail and industry. Yet Croatia still treats their arrival mostly through a labour-market perspective, not an integration one.

This shift to Croatia as an immigration country accelerated after 2021, when the quota system was replaced by a labour market test. The quota system set an annual limit on work permits for third-country nationals while the labour market test requires the employer to check with the Croatian Employment Service whether available workers registered in Croatia can fill the job.  

According to the Ministry of Interior, about 100 000 migrant workers currently hold valid permits, with workers from Asia and Africa making up around half of this group. In 2025, extensions made up about 40% of issued permits which suggests that many are not only arriving, but remaining in Croatia for a longer period. Research by the Institute for Migration Research points in the same direction. In a survey of 400 workers from Asia and Africa, many planned to stay for years or permanently, and more than half planned to bring their families. That’s why integration policy can’t be postponed. 

Language tests are not a substitute for integration policy

One visible government response has been a new language obligation. Migrant workers, with the exception of speakers of South Slavic languages, will have to pass a basic Croatian language and Latin script exam after one year of residence to extend their permit. From a trade union perspective, the problem is not language learning itself. Croatian can help workers understand contracts, safety instructions, institutions and everyday life. But the exam is introduced before Croatia created realistic conditions for learning. There are still no systematic, accessible and free Croatian language courses provided by the state. Existing courses are mostly organized by NGOs, local initiatives or other organisations, often with limited funding. Many migrant workers work long hours, overtime and shifts, and return to overcrowded accommodation. In these conditions, language learning is also about time, money, space and support. A language test without accessible courses risks becoming yet another barrier.

The missing foundations of integration

Integration can’t be built without basic security. It is often discussed through language, culture and adaptation, but such expectations mean little if workers fear losing their job, housing or residence status when they claim their rights.

A kitchen worker from Egypt once explained that he did not insist on his labour rights because he needed to protect his family. He worked overtime, sent most of his minimum wage home and feared losing everything his life depended on. 

This dependence on the employer is also administrative. Employers often submit applications for residence and work permits, while workers can’t safely and effectively check the status of the procedure themselves. They may be told that everything is in order, only to later discover that no valid procedure exists which means that they don’t have legal status anymore in Croatia, and must exit.

The same logic affects undeclared work. Croatian law formally places responsibility on the employer, but a migrant worker found in undeclared work may be ordered to leave Croatia, fined, and with a ban on entering Croatia or the EEA. If reporting abuse means risking residence, the system protects the employer.

Recent amendments to the Aliens Act bring some improvements. They make it easier to change employer after six months, allow an earlier change in serious cases, and regulate minimum housing standards. But rights exist only if workers can use them without losing work, accommodation or legal status.

Croatia can no longer treat labour migration as a temporary administrative issue. If workers are staying, building lives and planning to bring their families, integration policy must start from the conditions that shape their everyday lives. This means accessible language learning, transparent recruitment, independent information, safe housing, access to institutions and protection when rights are violated.

The real test of integration policy is not whether workers can adapt, but whether they can live without fear and dependence. If claiming a right can mean losing a job, accommodation or residence status, integration remains impossible. Croatia therefore needs an integration policy that appreciates migrant workers not only as a labour force, but as people who are already part of society.

Višnja Katalinić is Project Associate in UATUC - The Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH - Savez Samostalnih Sindikata Hrvatske).